Chapter 183: Hello

Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Hello

He remembered.

The orders.

The excuses.

Nerin tied down.

Nerin injured.

Selka saying he had disrespected her.

Brann’s eyes slowly lowered.

His face filled with shame.

Selka snapped:

"Do not pretend you were innocent!"

Nerin looked back at her.

"I was not innocent."

That surprised everyone.

Even Swanly.

Nerin’s voice softened.

"I was foolish."

He wiped his face.

"I wanted Swanly to like me."

His green eyes found hers.

"I wanted her to smile when she saw me."

A painful little breath.

"I wanted to be the male she chose to sit beside."

Kael’s ears twitched.

Soren’s silver eyes narrowed faintly.

Nerin continued before either could become unbearable.

"But I would never have taken away her choice."

Swanly’s heart squeezed.

"I would never do that."

Selka scoffed.

"How touching."

Swanly finally turned toward her.

"Actually, it is."

Selka blinked.

Swanly’s face was calm.

Too calm.

"I believe him."

Silence.

Nerin froze.

"What?"

Selka’s smile disappeared.

"Swanly."

"I said I believe him."

Nerin stared at her like she had just handed him his life back.

Selka laughed sharply.

"Of course you do."

Swanly shrugged.

"You admitted you prepared it."

"That does not prove he didn’t know!"

"No."

Swanly’s fox ears twitched.

"But you also just spent the last several breaths accidentally proving his story."

Selka’s face stiffened.

Swanly counted on her fingers.

"You knew he liked me."

One.

"You gave him the food."

Two.

"You lied about what was inside."

Selka opened her mouth.

Swanly raised another finger.

"And when it worked, instead of acting shocked, you used what happened to control him."

Three.

Brea stared at Selka.

Arion’s expression became disgusted.

Maela closed her eyes briefly.

Swanly tilted her head.

"You’re really bad at this when you’re angry."

A few people actually snorted.

Selka’s face flushed.

"You think you are clever?"

"No."

Swanly smiled faintly.

"I just think you talk too much."

That one hit.

Hard.

Brea suddenly laughed.

Selka’s head snapped toward her.

Brea immediately covered her mouth.

Too late.

Selka looked murderous.

Swanly turned toward Nerin.

He was still staring at her.

"You should have told someone."

His face crumpled.

"I know."

"You should have told me after I changed."

"I know."

"You don’t get to let guilt eat you alive forever because you made one stupid mistake."

His lips trembled.

Swanly softened.

"But I believe you didn’t know."

Nerin’s eyes closed.

A sob escaped him before he could stop it.

He bowed his head.

Swanly pretended not to notice how violently his shoulders shook.

She gave him that dignity.

Kael watched him.

The rage in his face had changed.

Not gone.

But redirected.

Slowly, his golden eyes moved toward Selka.

"You did that to her."

Selka looked at him.

Kael’s voice became dangerously quiet.

"You drugged Swanly."

"Yes, apparently everyone has discovered this now."

"You caused that night."

Selka’s expression sharpened.

"And yet you benefited most."

The clearing went dead.

Kael’s face changed.

Swanly grabbed his hand before he could move.

"Kael."

His claws were shaking.

Selka smiled cruelly.

"Was I wrong?"

Arion stepped between them.

"Enough."

Selka turned on him.

He looked furious.

Not the arrogant Sunmane prince from Swanly’s fragmented past.

A man staring at the consequences of everything his old tribe had ignored.

"You did this beneath my father’s rule."

His amber eyes burned.

"You watched Swanly be shamed for something you caused."

Selka shrugged.

"She still went to Kael."

Arion looked sick.

"You really feel nothing."

For once, Selka had no clever answer.

Maela spoke behind him.

Her voice was cold.

"This stain belongs to Sunmane too."

Arion turned.

His mother stood rigid.

"We allowed a female to be condemned without asking enough questions."

Swanly looked at her.

Maela did not apologize.

She was not suddenly gentle.

That would have been false.

But shame sat heavily behind her proud eyes.

"We failed."

Simple.

Raw.

Swanly accepted that for what it was.

Soren finally moved.

One slow step.

Then another.

The entire clearing quieted.

Selka’s bound wrists shifted behind her.

Scrape.

The hidden bone cut another few fibers.

Still not enough.

Soren stopped before Swanly.

"You have your answer about Nerin."

"Yes."

"Then we return to hers."

Selka’s face hardened.

Soren looked toward the three newborn cubs.

Then back to Swanly.

"Death."

His voice was flat.

"Or banishment."

The crowd erupted immediately.

"Death!"

"She killed our people!"

"Banish her!"

"She has newborns!"

"She’ll betray another tribe!"

"Those cubs did nothing!"

Raku roared:

"QUIET!"

Silence crashed down.

Soren did not look away from Swanly.

"You decide."

Swanly hated this.

She looked at the three wolf cubs.

Tiny.

Sleeping.

One little paw twitching beneath the hide.

Then Selka.

This woman had tried to kill her.

Manipulated Nerin for years.

Used Brea.

Helped enemies find Ironwood.

People were dead.

And still Swanly hesitated.

Not for Selka.

For the babies.

Kairo, Nilo and Miko flashed through her mind.

Children looking for Mama.

Her throat tightened.

"I..."

Selka watched her.

Watched Swanly deciding.

Again.

Swanly deciding whether she lived.

Something in Selka’s eyes cracked.

Her fingers worked faster behind her back.

Scrape.

Scrape.

The sharpened bone finally reached the last thick strands.

Swanly breathed in.

"I think the cubs should..."

SNAP.

The rope broke.

Selka screamed.

Not in fear.

In rage.

She shot upright.

"NO!"

Everyone reacted at once.

"SELKA!"

"MOVE!"

"Swanly!"

The sharpened bone flashed in Selka’s hand.

Her rust-red hair flew behind her.

Her postpartum body stumbled once.

She did not care.

Her eyes were locked on Swanly.

Mad.

Hateful.

Desperate.

"If I die..."

Kael lunged.

Too far.

Nerin screamed:

"SWANLY!"

Soren’s tail whipped forward.

Selka raised the bone.

"...YOU COME WITH ME!"

Swanly moved.

Fast.

Not as fast as before pregnancy.

But enough.

She twisted sideways.

Kael reached for her.

Then something hissed through the air.

FWIP.

Selka stopped.

Everything stopped.

Her eyes widened.

A black arrowhead protruded from the center of her forehead.

For one impossible heartbeat, nobody understood.

Blood slid slowly between her brows.

The sharpened bone fell from her fingers.

Clink.

Selka’s mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

Then her body collapsed.

THUD.

Silence.

Absolute.

Horrified.

Silence.

Brann stared at her.

His face emptied.

Brea screamed.

Nerin stumbled backward.

Arion’s eyes widened.

Kael immediately dragged Swanly against his chest.

Soren spun toward the outer trees.

Raku raised his weapon.

Every warrior followed.

"ARCHERS!"

"WHERE?!"

"WESTERN RIDGE!"

Swanly looked past the wall.

Beyond Ironwood’s claimed boundary.

High in an ancient tree sat a dark figure.

Six translucent wings folded lazily behind him.

Long black hair moved in the wind.

A chain still hung from one wrist.

A bow rested casually across his knees.

Prince Azren smiled down at the entire settlement.

Then lifted one hand.

"Hello."